DVD isn't dead

The majority of what I've been up to with NP1 Productions so far has been shooting local theater productions and creating DVDs for the cast and crew to keep as mementos. It's a pretty easy workflow: shoot, edit, create and burn DVDs. It took me a little while to settle on a system, but now I think I've got one that works. I've got the cameras, the editing software, and DVD software, but that last part has been a tough one to settle on. I currently use iDVD, which is outdated and not easy to customize. My preferred program? DVD Studio Pro 4, which was easy to use, didn't hog system resources, and let you do pretty much whatever you wanted. Unfortunately, it's not supported anymore by Apple in any form. In fact, my Mac didn't come with iDVD, I had to find it on some torrent site.

WOOOOOOOSH!!! DVD!!!!!! Coming soon to BLOCKBUSTER!!!!

Discontinuing support is a classic Apple move. You might be quick to say that this wouldn't happen when Steve Jobs was alive, but you're wrong. Tim Cook is only pushing Steve's agenda even further: push out the old and bring in the new as quickly as possible.

I remember back when the original iMac debuted, people were puzzled by its lack of a floppy drive. Up until then, floppies were pretty much a default feature on computers and were still largely in use. Apple could see that coming to an end with the emergence of other ways to share your files, but a LOT of people were confused and wondered what they were going to do when they needed to, say, get their homework to school. The day of reckoning for floppies was coming, but people still depended on them.

A similar move came with one of the most recent versions of Apple computers and even some Windows PCs. This time it was the DVD drive getting the axe. Seeing as how most software is downloadable now and we use the internet to share our files, it makes sense to drop this piece of hardware. But it also gives them the excuse to push what I think is one of the weirdest agendas in tech, and that is the discontinuation of DVD as a way to deliver content, period.

Yes, Tim, kill the DVDs. Kill them all.

Since I (and just about anyone else producing content for consumers) offer DVDs as "product," this really disrupts how we make our money. Sure, I still think of myself as "cutting edge" in some aspects, so I don't have a problem with online delivery. But for my clientele, getting something physical has been the way to go. People still want something tangible. In fact, they usually expect a DVD. If I said something like, "I'll send you a download link," I can assume that the reaction would be one of confusion or disappointment. Besides, I feel justified in charging what I do for a DVD. I can't say the same thing for just sending someone an email with a Dropbox link in it. The only way to hold that in your hands is to print it out. So now these kinds of projects don't pay as well, and I probably end up having to move on to something that pays better. Sorry, theater friends.

Not to mention the fact that delivering as a download is hard for both me and the client. When it comes to these shows, weddings, etc, what I end up producing can be over two hours long. That results in some BIG files, which are a pain for me to upload as well as for the client to download.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the concept of planned obsolescence. I've been woke since the second grade. As soon as I found out you had to buy a WHOLE NEW NINTENDO to play the latest Mario game, I saw the world as it truly was.

I'm kidding, of course. But I still love my DVD collection and I get a kick out of making them for my clients. It's a real drag, though, when the industry continues to be dominated by one form of media while the powers that be use their influence to eliminate it. There's not much we can do; just hope for a stay of execution.